Life: It's One Hell of a Ride
by lilynicole1313
Summary: A series of connected one-shots (kind of) from before Iron Man to after Captain America: Civil War. Includes all the Avengers, some X-men, Deadpool, and others from the Marvel universe. Multiple pairings. Multiple POV. Sometimes canon-compliant, sometimes not. R&R please! Update: Currently undergoing edits! Bear with me guys!
1. Prologue

**Quick AN:** Hey guys! I'm sure y'all are wondering what the heck's been going on with me. Life hasn't been very kind as of late, and I've been struggling with my depression. I am getting better, though. Life still sucks sometimes, but that's life, I guess.

Anyways, I still am changing this story, and as I update my chapters, I'll re-upload them for you lovely people to devour. As always, read, review, enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the MCU or Marvel Comics, only my OCs and my plot.

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Prologue

New York City, April 27th, 1979

Maria Stark slowly stood to her feet, holding her stomach. She grabbed Howard's bottle of Jack Daniels and washed her mouth out. After nearly a month of getting sick every day, she'd decided she needed to see a doctor. "Howard?" She called, pushing open the door to his home shop.

Their firstborn, Anthony, was sitting in the floor and working on the robot he'd built a few days ago. "Hi, Mom."

"Hello, sweetie. Where's your father?"

"Dunno." Tony shrugged. "He was yelling earlier."

Maria ruffled his hair. "Your robot looks good. Keep up the good work."

The ten year old beamed, going back to the circuit board on the bot. She carefully skirted around the various machines until she spotted the top of her husband's head. "Howard!"

He halted, dropping the wrench. "What?"

"I'm having Jarvis take me to the doctor."

"Why? You look to be in perfect health."

She huffed. "Howard, I've been sick almost every day this past month. Something is clearly wrong."

"Okay." He said absentmindedly, bending down to pick up the wrench. "Take Anthony with you. He's in my way."

Maria kissed the top of her son's head. "Stay here, darling. I'll be back soon."

The next morning, she poured the coffee into Howard's mug, her hands shaking slightly. "Good morning, darling." He kissed her shoulder as he reached for the mug.

"Good morning."

"You didn't sleep well last night." He said, studying her. "Why?"

"Howard, I'm pregnant."

New York City, 1986

"Tony! Wait up!" Six year old Aidan Stark scampered after her older brother as he stomped up to his bedroom. "I wanna play!"

"GO AWAY!"

She kept following him. "But I wanna show you something."

"What?" He snapped, turning around.

"I fixed-ed your robot."

"Fixed, not fixed-ed." He corrected her rudely. "What'd you do to it, twerp?"

She grabbed his hand, dragging her to her room. "I rewired-ed it, and now it's better."

"You rewired it?"

"Uh-huh. It was really slow, and now it's fast."

Tony sat down in the middle of her floor, opening the robot's electrical panel, and inspecting her work. "How'd you learn that?"

She bit her lip. "I went to your room and got your notes for the robot."

"I told you to stay out of my room."

"I know."

"But, this is cool. Just don't mess with my stuff again." She followed him back downstairs, smiling widely. "Dad, my graduation's tomorrow." Tony tossed Howard a paper. "There's everything in case you actually want to go."

"That's nice, Tony." He said, reading something in the paper.

"Whatever." Tony turned to their butler, Edwin Jarvis. "Will you have the twerp dressed and ready to leave when you do?"

"Of course, Tony."

"Thanks, Jarvis."

"Tony! Can Stella go too?"

"Um...no. Family only, twerp."

"Jerk." She stuck her tongue out at him.

He copied her, shoving her into her room. "Get dressed."

Long Island, December 1991

Aidan rested her head on the back window of the Stark family Cadillac, occasionally blowing out a breath. "Dad, I thought you were taking me to dance."

"I have something to do first, then I will."

"Patience is a virtue, Aidan." Maria chided her daughter, just as a motorcycle almost knocked the car off the road. "What was that?!"

Howard swerved, trying to correct, but the front end slammed into a tree. Aidan's head connected with the back of the driver's seat, and stars flashed before her eyes. "Is everyone okay?"

"I'm fine." Aidan said, wincing as she gingerly poked her forehead. Someone moved behind the tree and Aidan narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better look. "Dad!" She hissed. "There's someone out there!"

Howard looked where she was pointing. "Maria, Aidan, get down and do not move."

He opened the door, and Aidan heard a sickening thud right after. "HOWARD!"

"Maria! Stay back!"

Aidan kept down, tears streaming down her face as she heard a strange gurgling sound. She raised her eyes, seeing a shiny, silver arm with its fingers clutched around her mother's throat, and a young man with long hair and the lower part of his face obscured. She squeezed her eyes shut as he turned his head. She smelled gasoline shortly after, and the trunk opened and slammed shut. As the motorcycle roared away, she turned to her parents. Howard was bent over the steeering wheel, and Maria's eyes were glazed over, staring at her husband. "Mom? Dad?" She tried to shake them awake. "Wake up!"

"Aidan..." Howard choked, blood dribbling out of his mouth. "The car. Fire. Get out."

"Dad! You're going to be ok-" An ear-splitting explosion cut her off, throwing her against the back seat. Aidan's head cracked the passenger window and all went black.

"Anthony Stark?"

Tony sighed, signaling to the woman he was chatting up to hold on a second. "Who's asking?"

"Officer McGregor, NYPD. I need you to come with me."

He sighed. "Can we pause this, Ella?"

"Bye, Tony." She kissed him quickly.

He followed the officer out. "What's going on?"

"There was a car accident, Mr. Stark. I'm sorry, but your parents didn't make it."

Tony's mouth fell open and he took a step back, his back hitting the wall. "What?"

"We need you to identify their bodies, if you can."

Tony shook his head. The alcohol in his system had magically disappeared with the shock. "Is Addy okay?"

"Addy?"

"My sister! She was with them!"

"She survived, but we believe she has some injuries."

"I have to see her."

When he arrived at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Aidan was sleeping. "Are you a relative?"

"I'm her brother." He answered the doctor, watching her, and wondering where her injuries were. "What's going on?"

"She has a mild concussion, and we believe she's lost her vision. When she wakes up, I'm going to run some tests to figure out how extensive the damage is."

"Did she get burned?"

"No." The doctor scribbled something on her chart. "It's nothing short of a miracle, Mr. Stark. You're very lucky to still have your sister."

Manhattan, August 1992

"Hey, Aidan, I need to talk to you." Tony rapped on her bedroom door.

"Come in! Door's open!" She was sitting on her bed, trying to teach herself to read Braille. "So, are you going to homeschool me?"

"No." Tony glanced down at the papers Obadiah had drawn up to prove a point. "There's a girls' school in Buffalo. I'm sending you there. They've had a few blind girls before and are more than happy to accommodate you-" The smell of his whiskey was stronger than it usually was.

"But I thought you said you could teach me everything I needed to know."

"I've got the company to fix. And frankly, I don't want to have to look after a ten year old disabled twerp."


	2. Chapter 1

#1. The Budapest Thing (Clint Barton POV)

"I've lost contact with her." I said quietly into my earpiece. "Do you hear anything, kid?"

"It's too quiet in there, Hawk." she responded.

Natasha and I were on the trail of some pretty vile Russian assassins, associated with SHIELD's alter ego, HYDRA, now rogue. "I'm going in. Wait for my signal."

I ducked inside the complex. The lack of stupid henchmen unnerved me, but I had an arrow ready to fire, just in case. Aidan stopped just inside the doorway, leaning against the door frame with her foot on the other side. She looked utterly bored and I snorted, turning back to find Natasha. "Don't have all the fun without me." She requested as I walked off.

"I'll try not to."

Just as I rounded the corner in the hallway, I came face to face with one of them. "Where you go?" He asked haltingly, glowering at me.

"To rescue my spider." I drew back the string and released the arrow. He ducked, pulling out a knife and rushing at me. I quickly rolled out of the way, grabbed the arrow off the ground, and launched it once more. This time, it hit it's target, landing right above his nose. "Bitch."

I stepped over his body and continued forward. The only door at the end of the hallway was locked, but I pushed a button on my quiver, locked in an exploding arrow, and shot it. I rushed through the smoke and loaded my bow, skidding to stop when I saw Nat. Two of the men was holding her down, gripping her shoulders and ankles so tightly their fingers were digging into her skin. The third man had a blade resting on her throat. I fingered the string on the bow, drawing it back quickly. The arrow drove itself through the knife wielder's throat, showering Nat and the other two in blood. The other assassins watching rushed at me. I shook my bow, splitting it into two daggers, and jumped over them. Natasha managed to free one of her ankles, kicking him in the face, and flipping the other guy onto his back. I slammed my fist into the temple of one, grabbing him as he fell, and throwing him into his partner before I could check on Nat. She slowly got to her feet after incapacitating the last assassin. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She gave me a small smile. "Time for Aidan to do her thing."

We made our way back to her, walking over two more bodies than I had left. These bodies, however, were charred. She was wiping her nose, trying to stop the blood from dripping onto the floor. "Find her?"

"I'm good." Natasha replied. "You?"

"Yeah. They tried their best, poor things."

"Do your thing, Smaug." I said, walking past her and out the door.

"Shut it, Legolas." She smarted off, heading deeper into the building.

"Keep the blast contained to this building, though. We don't need any more casualties." Nat reminded her.

"Got it." She yelled over her shoulder.

Natasha and I found a small cafe a safe distance away, where she ordered a large coffee. "Hey. Thanks."

"You know I got your back, Nat."

"I know."

A deafening boom suddenly shook the cafe. I grabbed my mug, waiting it out calmly, watching everyone else freak out. "I think she's done."

Aidan Stark, a SHIELD agent for almost six years, was our prodigy. She was an alright fighter and an intelligent woman, and one of my closest allies. She also happened to be blind. I followed Nat back to the building – or where the building was, anyways. "I think you got it, kid." Nat glanced around, her eyebrows raised.

"Sweet." She tread slowly toward us, and I grabbed her hand, guiding her the rest of the way. "Can we go home now?"

"Our ride's coming in the morning."

"Alright." She wrinkled her nose. "After I get a shower, I'm going out. Think there's a bar nearby?"

"Probably." I slung my arm over Natasha's shoulder. "We, however, are going to relax. Just be safe, kid. Fury and Coulson would kill us if anything happened to you."

When the door closed behind Aidan, I locked it, joining Nat in the soft, king-sized bed. It was the moments like this I cherished: when the hard, stone cold agent changed into my soft, warm woman. I slipped under the covers, pulling her flush against me. She smelled like vanilla, coconut, and slightly like gun powder. "Hey, why so handsy, Barton?"

"I almost lost you."

"You didn't."

"I won't lose you. I can't lose you."

"Clint, stop." She held her finger on my lips. "I know. You don't have to tell me."

I flipped her on her back, relishing the only time I was able to do this, nipping her neck gently. "Then, Natasha Romanoff, let me show you exactly how much I love you."


	3. Chapter 2

#2. Family Reunion (Aidan Stark POV)

My legs carried me up toward the SHIELD headquarters, _Eye of the Tiger_ playing in one ear. I slowed to a walk, the din of early morning chatter guiding me to the front doors. "Ah. Right on time, Aidan."

"Good morning, Phil." He pressed a coffee into my hand. "Anything fun?"

"Fury needs you in his office-" He paused, and I assumed he was checking his watch. "-one minute ago."

"Right." I downed the strong liquid, grimacing. "No whiskey?"

"You should be at least half sober for this one. His idea."

I sighed. "Whatever."

He guided me to the elevator, pushing the button for Fury's floor. When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out, turning to the left and following the smell of burnt toast. "You requested my presence?" I asked, stopping when my hand grabbed the door frame.

"Close the door, Coulson. Aidan, seat's to your left."

I edged my way to the chair and plopped down. "What's the sitch, Nick?"

"I have a new mission for you, Agent." I perked up, leaning forward. "You're being sent to Malibu."

"Malibu?" I cocked my head, wondering if I heard him right. "Do we have a terrorist or assassin group in Southern California?"

"Not exactly." Nick paused. "You're going to be monitoring the threat level and qualifications of Tony Stark. I believe you're familiar with him."

I raised my eyebrows. "From a distance or-"

"You'll be living with him."

"Right. Because that's a brilliant idea." I said sarcastically. "You know I don't handle stress very well. And Tony is stress personified."

"You've got a better handle on your powers than you did at the school. You'll be fine."

"I'm not going!"

"This is an order!" Fury yelled back.

"Screw your orders. I am not going."

"If you don't, you lose your promotion, Agent." He snarled. "Get your ass in gear and pack."

"This is utter bullshit."

"Hello, Aidan. Tony's told me about a lot you. I'm Pepper Potts, his assistant." An unfamiliar, crisp, feminine voice spoke to me.

Agent Coulson shifted beside me, holding one of my duffel bags. "Ms. Potts, if you could show us to her room..."

"Of course. He's probably busy. Just follow me."

I replaced my hand on his forearm and walked slightly behind the SHIELD agent. "How long do I have to be here again?" I muttered, leaning toward him.

"Fury didn't say."

We climbed two and a half flights of stairs until Ms. Potts' light, clicking footsteps stopped. "Tony fixed your room up himself. The bathroom's on your right and the closet's on your left." She paused. "Do you need help unpacking?"

"No. I think I got it."

"Well, if you find anything you need, you can ask JARVIS or me. Tony gave you complete access to his funds."

"It's okay. Really. You can tell him I didn't come back for his money, Ms. Potts."

"Please, call me Pepper." She insisted.

"I'll be fine, Pepper. Thank you, though."

"I'll leave you to it, then."

Her footsteps faded away and Agent Coulson took my bags out of my other hand. "Fury made sure our numbers are in your new phone."

"Okay."

"And Stella got you some snacks: honey braided wheat braided pretzel twists, Nutella, potato chips, Tootsie Rolls, and kettle corn."

I reached up and undid the clasp to my black rose necklace. "Give this to her, please, and tell her I miss her already."

He pulled me into a rare hug. "Take care, Aidan."

I slowly made my way to the bad and began unzipping my suitcase. "This is going to be a long visit."

"It is with that attitude." The strong stench of whiskey and machine oil followed him into my room.

I stopped for a second. "Open the top dresser drawer, will you?"

"You'll get the layout of the house soon. For now-" He pressed a pair of glasses into my hand. "- his name is TESLA. He's connected to JARVIS and there's a nearly invisible ear piece to talk you through any situation. He's like your own personal GPS."

I clumsily slid the glass on my face. "Thanks, I guess."

"Wait." He moved closer and I felt him put something in my ear, which beeped quietly. "There. As soon as Fury told me you were coming, I started working on it."

"Which was...?"

"A couple of days ago."

I shook my head, feeling a small smile creep across my face. "Of course it was."

Tony cleared his throat, shifting his feet. "I'll let you settle in."

"Thanks, Tony."

"Don't mention it, Aidan." He cleared his throat again. "I only have one rule. Don't blow up my house."

"Got it."

"Welcome to Malibu."


	4. Chapter 3

#3. It's Captain. Captain Steve Rogers. (Steve Rogers POV)

I started out of the elevator, heading for Director Fury's office. "-not going back, Fury!"

"You belong with your brother, Aidan. At least for a while longer."

"He's a drunken asshole!"

"Well, you two have that in common, then."

I knocked on the door. "Director Fury? You needed to see me?"

"Come in, Captain." A young woman, arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently, was standing in the middle of the room. Her curly red hair was in a ponytail, and she wore a pair of black aviators. "Aidan, I'm giving you a break from him. Quit pouting and pay attention."

"I don't pout."

Fury sighed. "Do you feel up to a mission, Captain?" I nodded, my hands resting in front of me. "Good. I'm sending you both to New Orleans."

The young woman perked up, letting a smile creep on her face. "Woo! Bourbon Street, here-"

"You will be on a mission, Agent Stark." Fury interrupted her, his voice even. "We've heard rumors of a new terrorist cell in the city, with possible connections to either the Ten Rings or HYDRA. Your job is to gather intel and report back to me. You have two weeks."

"Am I going with him?"

"Agent Stark, meet Captain Rogers. He's your partner for this." Fury then looked at me. "Captain Rogers, Agent Stark."

"When do we leave?"

"In fifteen minutes." Fury handed me a file. "This is everything we have so far. Don't actively engage the suspects if you can prevent it. Don't draw attention to yourself, and Aidan, don't get too happy down there. You will have to come back."

"And if two weeks isn't enough time?" I asked.

"Let me know."

I glanced at Aidan. "Are you ready, ma'am?"

She sighed, shooting one last glare toward Fury. "Sure. Come on, Mr. Rogers."

"It's Cap-never mind." I held the door open for her, following her to the elevator. "So, how long have you been an agent?" I asked, trying to get a conversation going while we rode the elevator to the Quinjet.

"Almost eight years." She pulled a candy bar out of her pocket, taking a bite. "Want one?"

"No ma'am."

"These Quinjet rides are tedious. We should take the scenic route." I furrowed my brow, confused. "Tes, map out the drive from the city to New Orleans."

"Who's Tes?"

"It's about twenty hours. You have a car, don't you?"

"I have a motorcycle."

"Even better." She turned to the left, walking away from the Quinjets.

"Whoa." I grabbed her arm gently, using just enough force to stop her. "We can't drive to New Orleans. It's against regulation."

"Spoilsport." She frowned at me, brushing past me on her way to the jets.

She was silent the whole two hour ride. When we landed, she led the way down the ramp. "First thing we should do is scout out the building they're in, see if we can find somewhere close to monitor their movements."

She nodded. "Sounds good, Cap."

"You got anything we can use to hear or see them?"

"If I can get in there, yes." She held out a few small black buttons in her hand.

I shook my head. "Not going to happen. I'll slip in there and plant these – what are they?"

"Bugs." She placed them in my hand, almost missing it. "They're an invention of my brother's. I swiped them before I left. Just place them on a flat surface and I'll activate them."

Two days later, I was reclining on the king-sized bed in the hotel a few blocks from our target, watching the screen on the mobile computer. The bathroom door creaked open and I glanced up. Aidan had a towel wrapped around her petite frame as she slowly stepped toward her duffel bag. I sat up straighter, trying not to stare. From what I could see, she had three tattoos, maybe more. Suddenly, her foot tangled up in something on the floor and she pitched forward. I jumped up, catching her and preventing her forehead from hitting the nightstand. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She straightened up, but the towel almost slipped. She grabbed it, her cheeks turning red. "Sorry. I forgot my pants were by the bed."

"N-no problem."

She bent over, searching for her clothes. I picked them up, pressing them into her hand, and catching a glimpse of the tattoo she had on her shoulder blade. It was a rose curled around an M1 carbine, the words 'in loving memory' scrolled under it. "Thanks."

"Can I ask you a question? And, uh, that's a nice tattoo."

"Sure, Captain." She sat down on the edge of the bed, water still dripping from her hair. "Thanks."

"How did you...you know?"

"Lose my sight?"

"Yeah."

"I was in an accident when I was ten. The car exploded, and I haven't been able to see since."

"And the aviators?"

"My brother's idea. He invented TESLA, an artificial intelligence system linked to the one he uses, and built a sight program into those glasses. It sees the world around me and transmits the information through an earpiece."

My mouth had went slack as she was talking and I closed it. "That's neat."

"Yeah. He's kind of a genius." She headed back to the bathroom to dress. "So what's your story, Captain?"

"You don't know it?"

"I know what my dad told me. Howard Stark considered you a great friend."

"He was a great inventor. Way ahead of his time." I reclined again, checking the screen, and nothing had changed. "And he was also a great man. Um, where do I start?"

"It's always best to start at the beginning." She said seriously, her voice somewhat muted through the door.

I grinned at the movie quote. "The Wizard of Oz, huh?"

"Yeah. It's one of my favorite movies."

"Mine too." I cleared my throat. "I grew up in Brooklyn. My mom worked and my dad drank. I, uh, fought a lot for a skinny dude, but Bucky protected me when my mouth got me in more trouble than I could admit. While he went off to the war, I went to art school. Tried getting in, but until Dr. Erskine vouched for me, they weren't going to allow it. And uh, you should know the rest."

"Damn." She came back out, dressed and her hair dry. "Art school?"

"Yes ma'am. I like to draw."

She plopped down beside me. "And I like to drink."

"So I noticed."

"In case you didn't realize, you can call me Aidan. I'm not your superior, Mr. Rogers." She teased.

"Then you can call me Steve, Ms. Stark." I countered. "And it's Captain Rogers. Not Mr. Rogers."


	5. Chapter 4

#4. It's Called Respect, Stark (Tony Stark POV)

 _"_ _Just twelve percent?"_

 _"An argument can be made for fifteen." I replied cheekily, taking my glass of champagne from my girlfriend._

I sighed, grudgingly reading the files Agent Coulson gave to me just a few hours prior. The elevator dinged and I glanced up, seeing my younger sister walk in. "Where's Pepper?" She asked, her head cocked as she tried to listen for her.

"In D.C. I have homework from SHIELD."

"Ah." She carefully made her way to me. "For what?"

"Apparently, the Avenger Initiative wasn't scrapped. And they want me in."

"I know." She crossed her arms. "That's why Fury made me come live with you."

"Really?" I slid the picture of Dr. Banner up, making it bigger. "Aliens have control of a glowing, nuclear cube called the-"

"-tesseract." She finished. "And Loki's got it. He's Thor's brother. And he managed to compromise Agent Barton."

"You know a lot about this."

"Fury just debriefed me."

I froze on Captain Rogers' information. "What?"

"Don't act all worried. I'll be fine."

I wasn't acting. Sure, I'd screwed up after our parents died, but Aidan was the most important person in my life, whether either of us believed it or not. "I'm not worried." I lied.

"Didn't think you were." I heard her start to walk off. "See you soon."

As I headed for the helicarrier, JARVIS spoke. "Sir, I believe there's a situation in Stuttgart, Germany."

"Right. Make sure they know I'm coming." A few minutes later, JARVIS began playing AC/DC's 'Shoot to Thrill'.

"What the hell?"

"Miss me, Agent Romanoff?" I asked cheekily before blasting Loki away from Captain America. When I touched down, all of my weapons pointed at the god. "Your move, Reindeer Games."

His armor disappeared and he slowly put his hands up. "Good move."

"Mr. Stark." Captain Rogers stood beside me.

"Captain."

We loaded him in the Quinjet, and as Romanoff was conversing with Fury, Rogers sighed. "I don't like it."

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being this easy. This guy packs a wallop."

I grabbed my bag of trail mix, pouring some in my mouth. "Still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"

"What?" Steve cocked his head, confused.

"It's like calisthenics. You might've missed a few things, doing time as a Capsicle."

He sized me up, his jaw clenching slightly. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Yeah. There's a lot Fury doesn't tell you." I offered him some of my trail mix. "What's with you, anyways?"

"It's called respect, Mr. Stark." He responded coolly.

Aidan sat with her feet curled under her in the briefing room, a pile of candy bar wrappers in front of her. "Iridium. What did they need iridium for?" Dr. Banner asked, twirling his pen through his fingers.

"It's a stabilizing agent." I explained, walking in with Agent Coulson. "So the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD." I glanced at Thor. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing."

"Get to the point, Tony." Aidan spoke up, her aviators absent.

"Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants." I surveyed the briefing room. "Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails! That man is playing Galaga. Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." I covered one eye and looked around. "How does Fury do this?"

"He turns." Agent Hill answered icily.

I placed my hacking button under Fury's desk. "Well, that sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Once again, Agent Hill's voice was cold.

"Last night." Aidan snorted at my answer. "The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory paper. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Not everyone understands thermonuclear astophysics." Aidan pointed out.

"And one of us who does can't read." I retorted.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve interjected.

"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." Dr. Banner quietly explained.

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect." I finished, glancing over at Dr. Banner.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally. Someone who speaks English." I walked around behind my sister to join Dr. Banner.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked, confused.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner." I shook hands with the man. "Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Thank you."

I followed him to the lab on the helicarrier, eager to get started. I quickly set up my computer and began running my hacking program. "We'll soon know all of SHIELD's secrets."

"All I brought was a toothbrush."

"That's good though." I plopped down on the counter, waiting for something to happen. "If you need me, I'll be here."

"Hacking into SHIELD, huh?"

I scoffed. "I hacked into the Pentagon in high school on a dare. This will be easy."


	6. Chapter 5

#5: An Offer She Can Refuse (Aidan Stark POV)

I stretched my back, finally back in a familiar place. I'd stashed my aviators in my bag and wandered out of the briefing room, needing a sugar fix. As I headed toward the cafeteria, craving nothing more than a pint of ice cream, I heard familiar footsteps ahead of me. "Hey! Steve, wait up."

He stopped. "Oh, hey, Aidan. So, what brings you here?"

"Same thing that brought you here. Where you headed?"

"To check something. Tony's hacking into SHIELD's system because he thinks Fury's hiding something from us. Something to do with the tesseract."

"He is." I answered matter-of-factly. "It's called Phase 2."

"What is Phase 2?" He asked slowly.

"Follow me, Captain, and see for yourself. And tell me, too." I added, walking beside him. I led him to the hull, to an iron door even my fire couldn't penetrate. "I've been trying to get in here for almost two weeks."

I heard the door creak and groan after just a few minutes. "Come on." He grabbed my hand, leading me in. "There's a bunch of metal crates in here."

I stopped just inside the doorway. "You go. I'll stand watch."

All was quiet in the halls, and in the room, Steve was making plenty of noise as he ripped the covers off the crates. He let out a low hiss, stalking back to me. "Fury has some explaining to do."

"What'd you find?"

I had to almost jog to keep up with the super soldier. "What is Phase 2?" Tony asked.

I heard Steve slam something heavy on the counter. "Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons. Sorry, the computer was moving a little too slow."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the tesseract. This does not mean..."

"I'm sorry, Nick. What were you lying?" Tony interrupted.

"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit."

"What the hell were you thinking, Nick?" I spat, crossing my arms. "All those missions you sent me on was for this?"

"Aidan, let the guys talk weapons." Tony dismissed me.

I bristled. "Fuck you, Tony. You wouldn't even have some of Stark's weapons if it wasn't for me."

"Oh, don't start that again!" He sounded exasperated. "You had a couple good ideas. That's it!"

"Yeah, well, you didn't think of those, did you?" I shot back. "But, I forgot. You're Tony fucking Stark. You think of everything!"

"And you don't think at all!"

"I'm surprised all that alcohol hasn't killed your brain cells." I snapped.

"If it does, you'll be right behind me."

My fists clenched at my side. "Well, look who I learned it from."

"Did you know about this?" Dr. Banner asked someone, cutting across mine and Tony's argument.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" Natasha asked calmly.

"I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed."

"You should go as well, Aidan. This whole ship isn't fire-proof." Natasha suggested.

"The only thing I'm gonna burn is Tony."

"My suit is fire-proof."

"You're not." I retorted.

"There's a fire extinguisher two feet from me." He threatened. "Try it."

"If you insist." I felt my body start to grow hot, and flames tickled my palms.

"Cool it!" Fury yelled. "Go check on Loki. Now!" He barked at me.

I scowled. "Whatever."

Everything was quiet as I made my way to the detention section. I felt along the handrails, plopping down in the floor, hoping I was in front of the Asgardian. "Hello, Aidan Stark."

"Hello. Is everything to your satisfaction, Loki?" I asked politely.

"Extremely." Sarcasm dripped from his voice.

"Good. Don't want you to be uncomfortable, you know." I leaned back, supporting myself on my elbows. "Let me just say, you have some balls to take the tesseract from us. Kudos to that."

"Why are you complimenting me?"

"I admire your bravery. And, I've always had a thing for magicians."

"I am not a mere magician." He hissed. "I am a god! A king! The rightful king of Asgard!"

"But you're adopted."

"That is just a technicality."

"I get it." I sat back up. "Odin didn't chose Thor, though. But he did choose to keep you."

"Thor isn't worthy of the throne."

"Because he's more of a fighter and your more of a mind twister?" I asked. "I mean, Tony's not really fit to run the Stark Empire, either. He did away with our weapons manufacturing, you know. I'm shocked we didn't go bankrupt."

"This is different than your petty quarrels, Lady Stark."

"Is it?" I cocked my head. "I want at least fifty percent of our father's company, and you want your father's throne. But, then again, my brother isn't keeping me in a cage meant for the Hulk."

"He's just keeping you out of the conversation in the laboratory." Loki retorted.

"He's being a sexist asshole."

"I can give you your sight back." He moved closer to me. "And you can get your revenge on Tony, if you join me. You'd be my greatest asset."

"That's sweet." I smiled. "Thank you; however, I'll have to pass. Tony's an ass, and I'll be the first to call him that, but he's my brother."

"The invitation is open, Aidan, when you change your mind."

"I'll keep it in mind."


	7. Chapter 6

#6 Battle of New York (Steve Rogers POV)

"These were in Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them." Fury tossed some playing cards toward me, stained with blood. I closed my eyes, not wanting his vintage Captain America trading cards in my line of sight. "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming." Fury paused, and I looked up at him. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative.

The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes." I glanced around as Tony got up, walking away. "Well, it's an old-fashioned notion."

"Wait." I realized someone was missing. "Where's Aidan?"

Fury stopped pacing. "Stark, do you read?"

The fire alarms in the south wing went off suddenly and I took off, Tony right behind me. The sprinklers were soaking everything in the room, including a small figure in the corner. The room was empty, save for her, but the smell of smoke lingered in the air. She lifted her head when we ran inside. "Tell me he's not dead." She pleaded, her clear violet eyes red.

"I'm sorry, Aidan." Tony said softly.

"Dammit!" She slammed her fist into the wall, causing a small dent. "I want his beating heart in my hands." She said quietly, shakily standing up.

"Aidan-"

She stopped in front of us. "Steve, please. Get out of my way."

I knew she wasn't just talking about the doorway. I stepped aside, letting her pass through. "Was he married?"

"No. His daughter, though, is Aidan's best friend."

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man."

"He was an idiot." Tony snapped. "He should've never taken Loki on alone. He was out of his league. He should've waited..."

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony." I tried to console him, thinking of Bucky.

"Yeah. How'd that work out for him?"

I sighed, running my hands through my hair. "Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?"

"We are not soldiers!" He yelled, his fists clenching. "I am not marching to Fury's-"

"Neither am I!" I snapped back. "He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now, we've got to put that aside and get this done. Loki needs a power source, right? If we can make a list-"

Tony was staring at the blood on the wall. "He made this personal."

"That's not the point."

"Yes it is." He turned back to me. That's Loki's point. He hits us all where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart."

"He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants an audience. He's a full-tilt diva. He wants, flowers, parades, a monument built in the skies with his name plastered..." Tony stopped speaking for a second. "Son of a bitch!"

I suited up, then went to find the others. Clint was in the medical wing, sitting up on the bed. Natasha was sitting beside him, running her fingers through Aidan's hair. When I opened the door, Natasha glanced up at me. "Time to go."

Aidan straightened up, re-dressed and completely dry. "Go where?" Natasha asked.

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?"

"I can." Clint spoke up, looking at me.

"Suit up." I turned to Aidan. "Can you fight?"

She managed a half-smile, pressing a button on her aviators. "Yeah, I think so."

We walked out on the airstrip, and a young pilot lifted his head. "You aren't authorized to be here-"

"Son. Just don't." I brushed past him, guiding Aidan inside.

We crashed on the streets of Manhattan, mere feet from a building. I rushed out, looking up. Hundreds of Chitauri swarmed above. "Stark, are you seeing this?"

"Seeing. Still working on believing. Has Banner shown up yet?"

"Banner?"

"Just keep me posted."

I glanced down the bridge. "Those people need help down there."

"We got this. It's good. Go!" Natasha urged.

I looked over at Clint. "Think you can hold 'em off?"

"Captain, it would be my genuine pleasure."

"Hey, Cap, you coming?" Aidan called, jumping over the edge.

I shook my head, grinning, and followed suit. She dodged the explosions and I followed her footwork, landing in front of a group of police officers. "I need men in these buildings. There are people inside that can run into the line of fire. You take them through the basement or the subway. You keep them off the streets." I glanced over at Aidan, fighting behind me. "I need a perimeter as far back as 39th Street."

"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" The sergeant asked rudely.

"Rogers, a little help?" She quickly pushed her aviators back up, continuing to fight.

I turned as a Chitauri group landed, quickly blocking a blast of energy from their weapons. It didn't take us long to defeat them, and the sergeant watched in shock. "I need men in those buildings. You lead the people down and away from the streets, and give me a perimeter to 39th Street!"

I grabbed Aidan and we headed back to Natasha and Clint. "How are we going to do this?" Natasha asked the minute we got a small break.

"As a team." I replied.

Thor landed in front of us. "I have unfinished business with Loki."

"Yeah? Get in line."

"Save it." I snapped. "We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us-"

A small motorbike engine interrupted me, and Banner hopped off. "This all seems horrible." He said, looking around.

"I've seen worse." Natasha reminded him.

"Sorry."

"No. We could use a little worse."

"Stark? We got him." I informed Tony.

"Banner? Good. Tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."

A giant Chitauri monster followed Tony as he flew straight toward us. "That's...I don't see how that's a party." Natasha deadpanned.

Bruce began to walk toward the monster.

"Banner, now would be a really good time for you to get angry." I said, watching worriedly.

"That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry."

He began to transform into the Hulk and punched the monster directly on the nose. With the monster destroyed, I started to relax, until... "Guys."

"Call it, Cap."

I looked up at the thousands of Chitauri swarming toward us. "Barton, I want you on the roof, eyes on everything. Stark, you got the perimeter. Thor, try and bottleneck that portal. Nat, you and I will stay here. And Hulk?" He looked toward me, grinning. "Smash."

"And me?" Aidan asked.

"Um-"

"She'll be good with us." Natasha suggested. "To your right. Big group." Aidan's outline began to flicker and she ran right into the middle of them. "I'd move, Captain."

I backed up, and a sudden blast of heat rushed out, vaporizing all the monsters. Aidan stood in the middle, flames slowly dying. "Your shield?" She motioned toward me. I held it in front of me, and she directed a blast of fire, which bounced off and hit one right behind her. "This will be fun."

"So...that's..." I shook my head. "That's handy."

"Told you."

"We need to close that portal." I said after a minute.

"Guys, we have a nuke coming in toward the city." Tony suddenly informed us. "Don't close it yet. I know just where to put it."

I heard something sneaking up on me and threw a blind punch. "We got this."

One of the Chitauri knocked Aidan in the back with their energy rifle, taking advantage of the distraction. She grunted, her head connecting with the pavement. Rolling over, she blinked a few times, disoriented. "Hey, you okay, kid?" Clint jumped down from two stories above us, an arrow landing in the skull of the alien who'd attacked Aidan.

"Uh...everything's dark."

"Aidan, honey," he knelt down beside her, helping her to her feet, "you're blind."

"Oh, right." She rubbed her forehead. "That explains it. Yeah, I'm good." She winced though; I frowned, unconvinced.

I had no time to question, however, as the Chitauri swarmed our group. I flung my shield, beheading a few, and a blinding lightning strike and fire wall obliterated the nearest aliens. Thor landed beside me, immediately joining in. Not even five minutes after, to my shock, all the aliens suddenly starting shaking and fell at our feet. "What just happened?" Aidan asked, taking an unsteady step back.

"They're...dead." I said hesitantly, surveying the scene before me.

"There's Tony!" Clint pointed up, shading his eyes. "The portal's closed."

"Why isn't he slowing down?" Thor asked, his voice full of concern.

"Thor?" I motioned toward Tony.

He began to swing his hammer, but Hulk let out a roar, jumping up onto a nearby building to catch Tony. He gently laid Tony at our feet. "He better not be dead." Aidan's quiet voice sounded from behind me, and I pulled her even with me.

Thor yanked off the face mask of his Iron Man armor. "He's still breathing."

"RAWR!"

"Ah! What happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me." Tony rushed, breathing heavily. "We won? Who's up for shawarma?"  
"We didn't win yet." I nodded toward Stark Tower.

"Sharwarma sounds lovely, Tony." Aidan agreed. "Shall we?"


	8. Chapter 7

#7 Surprise! (Aidan Stark POV)

We gathered in the far end of Central Park to release Loki to Thor and Asgardian justice. I hung near the back of the group with my head down, feeling Loki's eyes on me. "He will be punished for his crimes." Thor assured us. "Farewell, friends."

"Including the death of Agent Coulson?" I asked, raising my head.

"Yes, Lady Stark."

"Can I help with that?"

"Odin will deliver swift and fair justice, I promise."

I huffed. The swift justice I wanted was the crackling of the fire Loki was trapped in, but unfortunately, the call wasn't up to me. Tony's hand squeezed my shoulder, but I shrugged it off. "Are you coming with me and Bruce?" Tony asked, walking me over to his car.

"No."

"We have plenty of room, sis." He prodded. "I could use your brain in the lab."

"Go. Stop worrying about me, Tony. I won't get into too much trouble without you."

He sighed, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "Fine. See you later."

I started to walk off, heading for Brooklyn. My number one priority was Stella, and making sure she was okay. "Aidan!" I stopped long enough for Steve to catch up to me. "Where are you going?"

"To Brooklyn."

"Do you need a ride?"

"Not from you. You crashed a plane, remember?" I teased him.

"I survived, didn't I?" He retorted cheekily.

"This seems like a terrible idea, but...sure. Why not?"

He grabbed my hand, leading me over to his bike. "I'm not going to kill you."

"You better not, Cap. I'll haunt your ass." I wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his back. "And I don't even have a helmet."

"As hard as your head is, Aidan, you don't need one."

"That's rude."

He laughed. "Come on. There's something you need to see."

"There's a lot I need to see. Don't think it's going to happen though." He revved up the engine and sped off. I squealed, lacing my fingers together. "Woo!"

Twenty minutes later, he killed the engine. "I know someone who wants to see you."

I let him lead me into the SHIELD building in Manhattan, following the sound of his footsteps. The steady drone of voices meant everything was getting back to normal, and then, "Aidan!"

I halted. After a split second, I ran to Phil Coulson, hugging him tightly. "How are-I don't care. Don't answer that." I pulled back. "That was...fucking ridiculous! Why would you ever put me through that?"

"I'm sorry." He kissed my forehead. "You needed a push-"

"Not that kind of push!" I snapped. "I've spent the past three days trying to find a way to tell your daughter."

"I know." Phil patted my back. "I'm sorry. Really."

"At least you're not really dead." I muttered, hugging him again. "I guess I'm gonna go, then."

"Be careful."

"You know me." I headed back to Steve. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"You doing anything tonight?" I asked.

He shifted his feet. "Not that I know of."

"You should take me out on a date, then."

"I-what?" He swallowed hard. "Um, okay."

Stella got back to our apartment a couple hours after Steve dropped me off. "Hey." She flopped down beside me on the couch, resting her head in my lap.

"Bad day, boo?"

"No. Just long." She yawned, stretching. "I was too busy being worried about you, since Dad didn't call me like he normally does."

"Yeah, well, I'm okay. Actually, I have a date tonight."

"What?" She squealed, jumping up. "With who?"

"Oh, no one, really. Just Captain America."

"What the hell!" Stella squealed. "He asked you out on a date?"

"Not exactly. I suggested he should, though."

"Um...then you need a shower. And I'll find you something to wear. Can I do your hair and makeup?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "Stel, I thought you were tired."

"I'm not now." She yanked me off the couch. "Shower. Now. You smell like smoke and sweat."

Per her request, rather harsh in my book, it took me only a few minutes to bathe. "Don't make me look like a whore!" I called from the bathroom, fogging up the bathroom to dry my thick hair. "He's from the 1940's! He's got morals!"

"Good thing one of you does." She countered. "Come out, already. I've got the perfect outfit for you."

I sat unnaturally still for Stella to straighten my hair and apply the barest hint of makeup. Just as she finished, our doorbell rang. "That's probably him." I got to my feet. "How do I look?"

"Perfect. Do you want your sunglasses?"

"No. I'll be fine."

Stella went to the living room ahead of me. "You. Sit." She bossed Steve around. I stifled a laugh, waiting for her to finish her little speech. "I know who you are, Mr. Steve Rogers, but that's my best friend you're taking out on a date. Hurt her, and not even Nick Fury himself could find your body. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." He sounded nervous, and as funny as this was, I decided she'd tortured him enough.

"Whoa there, tiger. Take easy on him. I can handle myself, Stel." I stepped out, leaning against the wall. "You ready, Steve?"

"Yeah." I heard the leather recliner squeak, and his footsteps came closer. "Um, let's go."

"Did you bring your bike?"

"And a helmet."

"Such a gentleman." I teased.

He guided the bike out of the parking lot, turning left. I felt something behind me on the bike, but didn't have time to think, as Steve took a corner a little fast and I held on tighter. We stopped right after, but I didn't release my grip. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"I almost missed my turn." He replied. His voice was shaking slightly.

"Why are you nervous?"

"I, uh, I've never been on an actual date before." He admitted.

I hid my smile as he got off the motorcycle. "Neither have I. Not a real date, anyways."

With my hand on his forearm, we left his bike and my helmet, walking on soft grass. We trudged on for a few minutes before he halted. When I went to sit down, my fingers found a soft blanket instead of grass. "Something smells good." I took a deep breath, a smile crossing my face.

"You like burgers, right?" I leveled my stare at him- hopefully. "I'm going to take that as a yes, then. What do you like on yours?"

"Cheese, bacon, and barbeque sauce." I paused. "Do you have chips?"

"Yes. And potato salad, baked beans, and cheesecake."

"So what are you going to eat?"

"Your burger." He joked, placing a paper plate in my lap, along with a plastic bottle. "You've never been on a date?"

"Not one like this, you know. Guy picks girl up, they go eat, guy drops girl off with a kiss on the cheek and a fake promise to call and do it again." I unscrewed the lid on the bottle, taking a sip of water. "I prefer one night stands. No promises and no fake shit, you know."

"Why ask me on one then?"

"I'd like to get to know you more. From what I've heard, you're one hell of a man, Steve."

He chuckled. "Thanks. Is that another way of saying I'm weird and old-fashioned?"

"Weird and old-fashioned? Yes, definitely. But I like it." I stated. "Plus, you're a great cook."

"Just in case you were wondering, I'd like to get to know you better, too. And I'll drop you off tonight, but I will call you. No fake promises here."


	9. Chapter 8

#8 Home is Where Your Friends Are (Tony Stark POV)

"Welcome to the new and improved Avengers Tower!" I stood on the coffee table in the middle of the living area, surrounded by my new associates. "Each of you have your own suites, designed to fit your each and every need, and of course, JARVIS is more than happy to accommodate any special requests. Any questions?"

"Are we required to live with you?" My sister spoke up, perched on the kitchen island counter. "Or can this be a place we come to crash?"

"It's up to you. I have keys for each of you, and I've set everything up so you can come and go as you please."

"Is there a lab?" Bruce asked, standing off to the side.

I glanced over at him. "Of course. Downstairs. It's the whole floor."

"Nice."

"What about a gym?" Steve Rogers piped up.

"Like you need it, but yes."

"This is a place fit for a king." Thor boomed. "Well done, Man of Iron."

"Thank you, Thor." I bowed to my audience. "Shall we? I'll give you the grand tour." Everyone piled in the elevator, and I wrapped my arm around Pepper's waist, pulling her closer to me. "We have the whole top floor to ourselves." I whispered.

"Did I get my jacuzzi?"

"Yes, you did."

She kissed me quickly. "Good."

Our first stop was the basement level A: the garage. "Here's where our rides will be when we get in. No street parking for us." Basement level B was the next stop. "And here's the lab. Bruce, the glass is reinforced in case you Hulk out, and all the equipment's bolted to the floor. We have a coffee machine, a vending machine, a bathroom, and two cots in the corner."

"Do you plan on leaving your lab?" Natasha queried.

"On occasion." I smarted back. "This is the training floor." I took them around the next level. "There's a complete workout gym, basketball court, dance studio, swimming pool, archery targets, shooting range, and yoga studio. Also, Aidan, the targets are fireproof, and if you hit them, they'll ding. If not, they'll laugh at you."

"How sweet." She muttered sarcastically.

We continued our journey, ending back in the main living area. "You already saw this, as this level opens out to the driveway. There's a den, living room, kitchen, and walk-in pantry. The kitchen has every appliance known to man, and I have a diverse collection of food in the pantry. The den holds all my movies, game consoles, and video games."

The next level was the first of my bedroom suites. "This is nice." Natasha spoke, peering around.

"Bruce, welcome home."

He clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you, Tony."

It was a simple, straightforward bedroom suite, with hints of green and purple. That was my idea. "Glad you like it."

After Bruce's level, it was Clint's (with black and purple throughout, along with a hidden nest he'll kill me for when he finds it), then Natasha's (black and red, with small spider statuettes hidden throughout, which she will also kill me for finding). "Who's next?" Aidan asked, squished between Steve and Thor.

"Thor." I designed his as close to a castle as I could, with elegant drapes in both red and navy.

"I love this." Natasha breathed. "Screw my floor, I'm taking Thor's."

"Nay, Spider Maiden. Thank you, Man of Iron."

The next floor was Steve's. It was red, white, and blue, with an American flag draped on one wall, and whole bunch of furniture I found from the 1940s. "This is...very cool. Thanks, Tony."

"Not a problem, Cap." The next floor was designed specifically for my sister. "Aidan, I've created you a space that runs on verbal commands, and the furniture, walls, and door frames will beep if you get too close. And you have your own fridge, stocked with your favorites."

"Do I have a liquor cabinet?"

"That's in the kitchen. We share one."

"Hmm. Alright."

"And that's it." I pressed the button back to the living area. "Everyone satisfied?" When everyone else got off, I pulled Pepper off to the side. "Go check it out."

"I'll let you know if it's good or not."

"I know you will."

Steve was already in the kitchen, looking for something to make, and Aidan, surprisingly, was once again perched on the island counter. "You should make a cake." She suggested.

"I don't bake, Aidan."

"Cookies?"

"Maybe." He leaned against the counter next to her, playing knocking his shoulder into hers. "But you can't eat all the cookie dough this time."

"Hey, Cap, I ordered pizza for us." I informed him, watching him carefully. "Thought we could celebrate."

Two weeks later, I was up early (or late), making toast for Bruce and I, as we'd been in the lab for almost seventy-two hours, when the elevator dinged and Aidan and Steve exited. "Straight to the diner, cut through the park, and back here?" She questioned. "That's weak, Rogers."

"It's six miles total."

"Like I said, weak." She teased, pressing the tiny button on her glasses. "Keep up if you can."

He laughed, taking off after her. I frowned in their direction, jumping when the toast popped up. "I think you've had too much caffeine, Tony." Bruce said, coming up beside me. "Go to sleep."

"We're so close to finishing though." I pouted, holding Bruce's toast out to him.

"We're not going to finish any time soon." He yawned. "Night, Stark."

I dragged my feet to the elevator, dropping him off first, then getting off on my floor. Pepper was sleeping peacefully on her side of the bed, one arm under her pillow. I stripped down to my boxers, tugging the covers out of her grip and snuggled up to her. "Done, Tony?" She murmured, shifting to rest her head on my shoulder.

"For today." I kissed her softly. "Go back to sleep."


	10. Chapter 9

#9 The Blind Fighting the Blind (Phil Coulson POV)

"We need to advance Aidan's training." Fury was looking over the reports and videos from her previous missions.

"She's good." I protested, sitting across from him.

"Good? Yes. But she needs to be better. She can't just rely on her pyrokinesis."

I conceded; after all, he did have a point. "Do you want Romanoff or Barton?"

"I have just the man in mind. You get her. I'll get him."

I grabbed Fury's black Corvette and drove to my daughter's apartment. She flung open the door, hugging me briefly. "Dad! What's going on?"

"I'm here for Aidan, Stella. It's work-related."

Aidan skidded to a halt inches from the door, her hand grabbing for Stella's. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Fury wants to see you."

"Oh. Okay." She kissed her best friend's cheek. "Have fun with Granny Peggy. Tell her I'll come by later."

I placed Aidan's hand on my forearm, leading her to the car. "How's everything between you and Tony?"

She shrugged. "He's still alive, so that's something."

"And you and Captain Rogers?" Her cheeks turned pink, but she didn't say anything. "I overstepped my boundaries, didn't I?"

"N-no." She took a deep breath. "We've only been on two dates, Phil."

I parked the car back where Fury had it. "Let's go."

"Agent Coulson, bring Aidan to the gym." Fury's voice sounded in my earpiece.

I changed directions, walking alongside her in silence until we reach the double doors to the gymnasium. I hold the door open, guiding her in. "What's going on?" She asked, glancing back toward me.

"You need to get better at hand to hand combat. So, I've brought someone to help you." Fury gestured toward the man beside him. "Aidan, Matt. Matt, Aidan."

The man smiled, his sunglasses dark. "I'm not sure how much I can do, Director Fury."

"Just do your best."

"Nat and Clint are working with me-"

"You need someone who knows your limitations, Stark. And seeing as you and Mr. Murdock have something in common, I believe this will be more effective."

"Well, if you believe it will be, then I have no choice but to obey." Aidan muttered sarcastically.

Fury started to leave the gym. "Keep an eye on them." He said quietly.

"Yes sir."

Aidan was still, her chest barely even moving, and Matt's head was tilted, waiting for her to make the first move. "What do we have in common?" She spoke quietly, still not moving.

"We're both blind." He answered honestly. "Mine from radioactive waste; yours from a car accident."

"And Fury thinks two blind people fighting is a good idea?"

"Well, I think he's right." Matt said slowly. "Use your hearing to your advantage. You can anticipate your foe's moves beforehand and counter it. Attack me."

"What?"

"Just do it." Aidan struck out with her fist, and Matt dodged it, tapping her other shoulder. "See?"

"No."

He laughed. "Give me a chance. I can help you."

Two hours later, Matt helped Aidan back to her feet. "How'd I do, Murdock?"

"Not bad, Stark."

"Same time tomorrow?"

"I have to be in court tomorrow, but Friday's good. You?"

"Friday it is."

I opened the door for them, handing Matt his cane. "Thanks, Agent Coulson." He gave me a smile. "You can tell Fury he doesn't have to drive me here on Friday. I think I can find my way."

"Will do."

Aidan sighed, re-fixing her hair back into a tight bun. "Take me home, Phil." She said dramatically. "I need a hot bath."

When I got back to the SHIELD base, Agent Hill was waiting for me in my apartment. "Nick didn't have anything for you to do today?"

"Nothing but make sure Aidan didn't set Matt Murdock on fire." I paused on my way to my bedroom. "What are we watching?"

"Season one of How I Met Your Mother. Tony pointed out my resemblance to Robyn, and I wanna see for myself."

As soon as I came back, wearing my red, white, and blue plaid pajama pants Stella had bought me as a gag gift, and sat down, Maria shifted, leaning against me. "How was your day?"

"We have a new agent. Her name's Sharon Carter."


	11. Chapter 10

#10 Let It Snow! (Tony Stark POV)

"Steve!" Aidan giggled, sounding out of breath. "Stop tickling me!"

I paused at the top of the stairs, coming from the lab. It was just past four in the morning. "Then don't eat the cookie dough." Steve teased, doing something that caused my sister to erupt in giggles again.

I frowned, peeking around the wall. He had his arms around her, and she was doubled over, gasping for air. "Let me go!"

I stomped in, glaring at Steve. "What the hell is going on here?"

He released his hold on Aidan and she hit the floor, trying to catch her breath. "She was trying to eat my cookie dough." He said innocently.

"Yeah." I narrowed my eyes at the two. "I need to talk to Aidan."

Steve grabbed her arm, pulling her back to her feet, and left the kitchen. "What did I do now?"

"What's the deal with you and the capsicle?"

She frowned. "What do you care?"

"I'm your brother." I pointed out, in case she'd forgotten. "And he's old enough to be your grandpa."

"He sure doesn't feel like a grandpa." She quipped, smirking.

"That's gross."

"I didn't mean it like that, Tony."

"Sure." I huffed. "I don't like it."

"Too bad. I like him, and he likes me."

"He's not your type." I argued.

She raised an eyebrow, staring right over my head. "And how would you know what my type is, Anthony? You barely even know me."

"I-"

"Don't bother making excuses. It's just the way it is. We don't know each other anymore." She interrupted me.

"Wait. We can change that, though." I offered. "I own Dad's cabin now. Why don't we take a trip up there again?"

She tilted her head, a smile forming on her lips. "All of us?"

"Sure. Why not? We could all use a little bonding time."

Two hours later, all the Avengers plus Pepper arrived at the Stark cabin in the woods. As Aidan and I spent a majority of our childhood winters up here, I thought this would be the perfect place to finally get to know my sister. "It's gorgeous up here." Natasha spun around, taking in the sights.

She and Clint took one of the bedrooms, Thor took another, Pepper and I got the master suite, Steve and Aidan took her old bedroom, and Bruce got a room to himself. "Everyone settled in?" I asked, glaring at the captain when he and Aidan came down the stairs.

"It's bigger than I remember." Aidan commented.

"I had it remodeled."

"There better not be a lab in here." Pepper warned, staring at me.

"There's not." I reassured her. "Hey sis, you wanna go check out the hiking trail?"

"Sure."

We were halfway up the hill behind the cabin when something landed on my nose. "What the-" I glanced up. "Aidan, it's snowing!"

She, however, already knew, as her tongue was out and she was trying to catch snow flurries. I snorted, laughing at her, but I soon joined her, catching one quickly. "Remember when we'd go camping on the hill and Jarvis would go crazy trying to find us?" She asked, flopping down on the ground.

I followed suit. "Yeah. And Mom would start looking for us, too. You'd be giggling in the tent, and I'd have to hold my hand over your mouth to get you to shut up."

"But Dad wasn't ever worried." She continued. "' _They'll be back. Don't worry so much, Maria._ '"

I chuckled at her gruff voice impression of Howard. "You weren't ever scared of the noises we heard, though. Even the panther pacing outside the tent that one time."

"I knew you'd protect me."

"You wanted to go pet the big kitty." The snow was falling faster and the flurries were now snowflakes. "I did what I thought was right."

"I know." She leaned her head on my shoulder. "You didn't know Obadiah was trying to get the company for himself."

"Yeah, well, he did have some good points during that conversation."

"We can't change what happened."

"But we change the present and the future." I stood, pulling her up with me. "I'm still not okay with you and Cap, though."

"You'll get over it."

When I woke up the next day, a thick blanket of snow covered everything. I stepped outside with a steaming mug of coffee in my hands, surveying the snowfall. "-cool down?"

"Nope." Aidan replied, and I assumed she was with Steve. "AH! Steven Grant Rogers! That was cold!"

I was right. He was doubled over, holding his side as he laughed. Aidan was shaking snow out of her shirt, glaring toward him. I grabbed some of the snow on the rails of the porch, happily finding it was the perfect wetness for snowballs, and hurled one at Captain America. It hit him on the top of his head.

He straightened up immediately, searching out the culprit. I ducked down out of view. "What are you-" Clint started to ask, but a snowball flew past my head and right into Clint's face. "Oh, that's it." He snarled. "NAT! Get out here!"

"Aidan, you gonna be on my team?"

"Hell no, Rogers!" She popped off. "I'm gonna find Tony."

It wasn't long before most of us outside, separated on teams. Steve managed to recruit Bruce, Clint and Nat were hiding in the treeline with Clint actually in a tree, and Aidan and I were hiding behind the cabin. "Lady Stark, what are you doing?" Thor asked, coming up behind us.

"Snowball fight." She replied quietly. "You in?"

"Yes." He answered hesitantly.

"Good. It's every team for themselves."

"I shall go find a spot." Thor headed off, still confused.

"What's our plan?" Aidan asked.

"Attack."

She rolled her eyes. "Alright then, Rambo. Let's go."

I ran away from the cabin to construct a quick snow fort for Aidan and I to hide behind. "Where's he at?" She hissed.

"Rogers? He's out in the open with Bruce. Your eight o'clock."

Aidan launched the first snowball of the official fight, barely missing Steve. Thor hit the snowball back to us with his hammer, but the wind caught it and it landed on Bruce, hitting him in the chest. Steve, having built a small snow fortress for him and Bruce, was making snowballs quickly, starting a stockpile. Bruce grabbed one, hitting Thor's head, and getting snow in the thunder god's hair. I felt something hit me on the head and I tilted my head back, seeing Clint moving through the trees. I formed a snowball and tried to hit him, but it hit a branch at his back and missed. "Damn!"

"Language!" Steve yelled.

With incredible accuracy, Aidan tossed a snowball at Steve and it hit him in the face. "Nice hit, sis."

"Thanks." She gloated long enough for Steve to retaliate, and as I was occupied with Natasha and Clint, both of whom were hitting me with snowball after snowball. "That was my boob, Steve!"

"Sorry! I was aiming for your head."

"Uh-huh."

"Guys! I have hot chocolate ready!" Pepper yelled, stepping out on the front porch.

I had a snowball in my hand, and I let it fly. Everyone stopped in mid-strike as Pepper wiped snow off her face, her lips thinner than I'd ever seen them before. She bent down, scooping some snow in her hands, and started toward me. I gulped, trying to smile at her. She smiled back, her lips curling up in a scarily beautiful smile. Without a warning, she smashed the snow in my face.

"Woo!" Everyone cheered for her and she waved to the others, taking a mock bow.

"I think your snowball fight is finished, Tony." She whispered in my ear. "Why don't you come inside to warm up?"

"Good call." I kissed her hard, yanking her flush against me. "You have the best ideas, Pepper Potts."


	12. Chapter 11

#11 It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! (Steve Rogers POV)

"-bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way..."

I walked upstairs to find Tony Stark in the middle of the living room. Paper, tape, and empty boxes surrounded him, and a nine-foot fir tree stood proudly in front of him. He was singing loudly to the songs JARVIS was playing, oblivious to everything else except for Pepper. She had tinsel draped around her and an elf hat to match Tony's Santa hat. "Hey, Steve." Pepper greeted me warmly.

"Don't just stand there, Cap!" Tony craned his neck to look at me. "Grab a box and help."

"Don't listen to him." Pepper shook her head.

"I wasn't planning on it." I chuckled, dodging the box Tony threw at me. "Have fun."

I continued outside. With snow slowly covering the city sidewalks, cheerful holiday tunes drifting out of every store, and the huge wreaths on lampposts and streetlights, it looked like Christmas. One toy store close by had a countdown to Christmas going, and it was only two days away. I did a double-take. I didn't realize it was coming up that soon.

When I opened the door to my apartment, I noticed one of Tony's realistic artificial trees across from the kitchen, and several boxes and bags surrounding it, along with a note. _Have fun, Cap! I'll catch you when I get back. Shouldn't be too long._

There was one box, already wrapped, with my name on it. I carefully picked it up and placed it under the tree. I glanced at Aidan's note once more before I grabbed my coat and headed downstairs to her and Stella's apartment. "Come in!" Stella hollered after I knocked.

"Hey, Stella."

"Oh, hey." She poked her head out of her bedroom. "Give me a sec, okay?" She disappeared again, and I glanced around at all the pictures. Most of them were of a younger Stella and a younger redheaded girl with a crooked grin, ballet shoes in her hand. "What's up?"

"I need help."

"With what?" She asked, eyeing me carefully.

"With Aidan's Christmas present. I have no idea what to get her."

"Glad to see what five months gets a girl-a guy who can't buy a gift." Stella joked, slipping on her coat. "I think I know just the thing. Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"There's an old store in Hell's Kitchen that sells random stuff. Aidan and I browse in there every so often." She explained as we walked down the stairs, headed for the subway. "She's been whining about something they have."

"That sounds perfect."

Run down buildings and narrow, dank alleyways flanked the shop. I walked closer to Stella, keeping an eye out for any sign of trouble. "You girls come to this place alone?"

She glanced back at me. "Steve, Aidan's got Daredevil on her side. Nobody's gonna mess with us."

I followed her inside. Stella's description of the store's merchandise was extremely accurate; the shelves weren't organized in the least and dolls sat next to dvds and jewelry. "What exactly am I looking for?"

"It's over here." She pointed at a small white gold dragon pendant, with small onyx stones for eyes. "What do you think?"

"I think it would be a great present."

"Good morning, Miss Stella." A shorter, squat older man greeted her warmly. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"

"Actually, Johnny, Steven here wants to buy the dragon necklace."

A couple hours later, after wrapping her present and decorating both the tree and my apartment, I stretched out on my bed for a quick nap. Sometime later, someone crawled in on the other side of the bed. I cracked an eye open, and when I saw it was Aidan, I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep still. I heard her take off her boots and her jeans, and she finally laid down, moving my arm so she could lay her head on my chest. "Come on, Rogers, I know you're awake. You only sleep once a month." She joked, turning to face me. I snored lightly, still trying to fake it. I felt her warm fingers on both my abdomen and my cheeks, her breath hot on my ear. "Still sleeping?" She whispered, kissing along my jaw.

I couldn't take it anymore. I opened my eyes, threading my fingers through her thick, curly red hair, and bringing her lips to mine in a rough teeth on teeth kiss. "That wasn't fair." I growled, staring into her clear violet eyes.

"Hello, sleepyhead." She snuggled closer to me, one leg over mine.

"You miss me?" I asked, not used to this amount of affection from her.

"Yeah. Almost didn't make it back though." She sighed. "Bastards had the damn place booby trapped."

"Shit. Are you okay, doll?"

She nodded, pulling the hem of one of my shirts up and showing me an already fading scar right below her rib cage. I sat up, pulling her onto my lap. She laced her fingers behind my neck, and my hands rested on her waist, beneath the cotton fabric. "I'll always come back to you, Steve." She shifted, rolling her hips slightly.

I groaned, my fingers digging into her pale skin. "Aidan." My voice was deeper than usual, and her violet eyes darkened.

When we finally got out of bed, it was around ten Christmas Eve morning. Bruises from my fingers were showing up on her hips, along with one right between her shoulder and neck. She stumbled to the shower, almost running into the door. "Hey, darling, there's a door there!" I called, searching for my jeans.

"Yeah, no shit." She hollered back, leaving the door open.

We headed to Tony's around noon. He and Pepper had somehow gotten the whole main floor decorated, and had convinced Pepper to wear a Santa hat. "Steve! Addy!" Tony shoved an elf hat on Aidan, grinning. "We're just waiting on Thor and the Coulsons."

Stella and Phil arrived before Thor, and Stella immediately grabbed a hat, singing along to every carol coming through the speakers. Aidan joined in enthusiastically, twirling around. "Happy Christmas, friends!" Thor boomed. "I have presents!"

Tony had a huge feast prepared for us, consisting of ten extra-large pizzas, five hams, mashed potatoes, breadsticks, sweet rolls, green bean casserole, candied yams, grilled burgers, lasagna, corn, three chocolate pies, double-chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, pecan shortbread cookies, lemon custard pie, vanilla and strawberry ice cream, pecan pie, and one Pop-Tart pie for Thor.

We gathered around the table, and the singing and conversations ceased. Aidan, after eating one and a half pizzas on her own, grabbed the plate of chocolate cookies and sat back down, eating them one by one. "Cookies!" Clint said, excited.

"Go get your own damn cookies, Legolas."

"Listen here, Smaug. Dragons guard gold. Not cookies."

"This dragon does." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'd do that too, but you can't see it." He retorted.

"I'd call you an idiot, but you can't hear that."

Thor's presents to us were all handmade Asgardian armor. Pepper, Stella, and Phil received handmade Asgardian leather jackets. "Lady Stark, yours is fireproof. Dr. Banner, yours will not be harmed when you transform."

"Cool! Thanks, Thor." Aidan responded happily.

"Thank you." Bruce smiled.

Tony, as expected, got most of us gift cards, except for Pepper, who got a diamond necklace with a pendant that looked suspiciously like his arc reactor; Aidan received an updated version of TESLA, complete with new, dark green aviators; and Bruce opened a children's chemistry set. He leveled a stare at Tony, who grinned. "Love you, Brucie."

"Whatever, Stark." Bruce joked.

It was almost midnight when Aidan and I got back to my apartment. She started to move toward the couch, but I grabbed her hand. "I got you something for Christmas."

"Oh? Is it you, because I think I already unwrapped that."

"Yeah, no." I handed her the box, and she unwrapped it, giving it back to me.

"What is it?" She asked, bouncing excitedly.

"It's the dragon necklace from Griffin's in Hell's Kitchen." I clasped it on her, moving her hair out of the way.

She spun around, her arms wrapping around me. "How'd you know I've been wanting this for forever?"

"Stella."

Aidan snickered. "Well, thank you anyway, Captain Rogers."

I suppressed a shiver as she said that. "You're quite welcome, Agent Stark."

"Merry Christmas." I picked her up, planting a kiss on her lips.

"Merry Christmas."


	13. Chapter 12

#12 Family Ties (Stella Coulson POV)

"23.98, Mr. Harrison."

"And ten for you, Stella." He winked at me, handing me two fives. "See you tomorrow."

"You too."

As he was leaving, a smiling young woman with bright coppery red hair bounced inside. "I'll be with you in a minute, Addy."

"Take your time, sweets." She called.

I cleared the dirty dishes and brought her a coke. "Your usual?"

"Sounds delicious. Travis cooking today?"

"Yup. He'll have your food out soon."

"Hey, Stel, put in an order for Steve, too. He's on his way."

"Sure thing." I scribbled the order down, handing it to Travis. "I think lunch rush is over." I said, leaning against the counter.

"Thank god." He grinned, slapping the bacon on the flat top. "Go take your lunch when Haley gets here."

"I'm here, Travis!" The peppy brunette smiled brightly. "Hey, Stella."

I returned her smile. "If you don't mind, I'll go to lunch when my table's food is ready."

It took about twenty minutes, and I carried Aidan and Steve's plates out, with Haley bringing his drink. "Here you go, Captain. Anything else?"

"No, thank you, Haley."

She walked away, her hips swaying. I rolled my eyes, pushing Aidan over. "She's flirting with him." I whispered to her.

"I don't care." Aidan replied nonchalantly. "We're dating. I don't own him." She took a bite out of her burger. "Travis needs to stop being such a good cook, so I'll stop coming here."

Steve chuckled. "Then he wouldn't have any business."

I started on my omelet. "You know, Rogers, you're not half bad."

"Thank you?" He looked up from his plate, a frown forming on his face.

"I grew up, like Aidan, with first hand stories about you from my grandmother and my dad retelling those stories, especially after he got in SHIELD. You were a lot for a kid to live up to, you know?" I took a sip of Aidan's Coke. "But, you're pretty cool."

"I guess." He shrugged it off. "Who's your grandmother?"

"Peggy Carter."

Steve's eyes widened. "She never told me-"

"She approves, by the way." Aidan piped up, pushing her empty plate away from her. "All she said was to make sure you don't end up as a capsicle again."

He snorted. "That's great."

"Well, Stella, I'm almost late for my training with Murdock." Aidan sighed, leaning on my shoulder. "Wonder how long I can stay here until Fury shows up?"

I shook my head. "Go, dork. And don't forget Dad invited us over for dinner."

"Right." She stood up, waiting for Steve. "See you later, Stella-gator."

Steve passed me a fifty. "Give Haley part of the tip, please."

"Bye, guys." I sat back down to quickly finish my lunch.

Travis slid in beside me, planting a swift kiss on my cheek. "When Ronnie gets here, you wanna go to the movies?"

"I can't. My dad's having a dinner at his house."

"Well, can you bring a date to that?" He asked, his hand resting on my thigh.

"I'll ask him." I conceded. "Now, if you'll let me up, I've got to get back to work, boss."

"Let me know what your old man says, babe."

"I will." I pulled my phone out, shooting a quick text to my dad. _Mind if I bring a guest tonight?_

 _Sure._

The rest of the work day passed quickly, and as five p.m. rolled around, I hung my apron on the hook in Travis's office. "I'm out, Travis!" I called, poking my head back in the kitchen. "Dinner's at seven."

"He said yes?"

"Pick me up, okay?"

"Alright."

When I got back to my apartment, Aidan was just heading out of the shower. "Hi!" She said brightly, her head tilting toward me. "Steve's coming to the dinner, too."

"So is Travis." I stripped down, the bathroom door cracked. "You want me to do your hair?"

"Is this a fancy dinner?"

"Nope."

"I'm just gonna braid it, then."

I turned the water as hot as I could stand it and jumped in, quickly washing my hair and shaving. I got out, grabbing a towel, and went to Aidan's room. "Give me a blow dry?"

"Sure thing, sugar."

I plopped down on the edge of her bed, and she turned around, swinging her legs on either side of me. Flames flickered off her palms and I felt the rush of hot air on my skin. A few minutes later, the heat disappeared. "Thanks!" I planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Get out of here, weirdo."

I yanked on my skinny jeans and had just hooked my bra when the doorbell rang. "Babe! Open up!"

I rushed into the living room. "Hey."

"I think I'm overdressed." He joked, pulling me against him. "Can't wait for tonight."

"Alright, handsy. Let me get my shirt."

"Why?"

I led him to my bedroom, shoving him on the bed. "Sit. Stay."

"Woof."

I let out a laugh. "You are ridiculous."

"Stella! Steve's here. You ready?"

I grabbed my white tee, slipping it over my head and throwing my hair into a quick ponytail. "Yup!"

"Right on time." Dad grinned at our little group. "Come on in. Food's on the table." He raised an eyebrow as Travis followed me through the doorway. "And you are?"

"Travis Graham. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Coulson."

"Agent Coulson to you."Aidan snickered as Steve guided her to the table. "Stella, could you and Aidan help me in the kitchen?" I grabbed Aidan's hand and pulled her after me. "Maria and I have an announcement for you two." He began.

My heart started to race. Maria was great, and she was totally understanding about Dad's job, as she worked for SHIELD too, but she was just a few years older than me. "You've poisoned the food and we're all gonna die?" Aidan deadpanned.

Dad tried to hide his chuckle. "No, Aidan. That's not it." He glanced at his girlfriend. "Since we've had to transfer my mother into a living facility to better take care of her, we are selling our apartments and using the money to fix her house before we move in."

"You and Maria are moving into Granny's house? Together?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Oh."

He studied my face. "Stella, do you have a problem with this? Mom wants the property to remain in the family, so I'm sure she'd be alright with you girls-"

"No, no." I flashed him a quick smile. "Let me know if you need help packing."

"I will." He hugged me tightly. "I love you, Stella. You know that, no matter what, you are my priority."

"I know, Dad. I love you, too."


	14. Chapter 13

#13 All Good Things… (Aidan Stark POV)

"A year and a half?" Tony repeated, disbelief in his voice.

"More like a year and four months." I said. "But that's not important. Do you have any idea what he's planning?"

"Uh, no. I don't." Tony sighed. "He's ninety years old, Addy."

"Don't bring up the age thing again."

"It's weird."

"You're making it weird." I argued. "He's a good man, Tony."

"Like Matthew or Ryan or Elijah were good men?" He countered, bringing up my last three 'boyfriends'.

I huffed. "Matthew was married, and he was a one night thing. Elijah turned out to be a total douchebag who just wanted our money. And Ryan was one of my targets."

"You fucked him."

"Yes I did. And then I killed him. So he doesn't count."

"Are you gonna kill Steve, too?" Tony asked, a tinge of hopefulness lacing his words.

"No."

"Damn." He sighed again. "I respect Rogers, alright? You're my little sister, though."

"Aww, you do care about me!" I teased, leaning on the counter of the bar, tracing the glass my Scotch was in.

"Shut up."

"Tony, you should know better than anyone I can take care of myself. I'm a Stark, after all."

He bumped my shoulder. "I know."

I heard the elevator ding and Steve's moderately light footsteps getting closer. "See you later, Tony."

Steve grabbed my outstretched hand, intertwining our fingers as we headed back to the elevator. "I hope you're ready for a late night, Addy."

"Ooh. Is it the kind of late night that ends up with us sweaty and naked?" I asked, teasing him.

"Maybe." He sounded embarrassed. "But you need patience." He teased back. "It's worth it."

I rested my head on his upper arm. "So...what were you and Tony talking about the other day?"

"HYDRA stuff." He said dismissively. "Now, come on. We're gonna be late, doll."

We strolled down the sidewalk in silence, my hand still inside his. "What are we gonna be late for?"

"You'll see."

"That'll be a fucking miracle." I muttered sarcastically under my breath.

Steve snorted. "This is why I love you."

I stopped breathing for just a second. Did he just say what I think he said? I stayed silent, hoping I'd heard him wrong.

About fifteen minutes later, we left the sidewalk and I felt the soft earth beneath my feet. "Central Park?"

"This is where we had our first date, remember?"

"I do." He guided me to a bench; when I felt the warmth from a flame, I couldn't help but smile. "A candlelit dinner in Central Park?"

"Too cheesy?"

"It's cute." I paused. "Something's going on, isn't it?"

He inhaled sharply, his leg bumping mine as he sat down beside me. "What makes you think that?"

"You're acting weird. Normally we go out to eat and then catch a movie at your apartment."

"I just wanted to switch it up."

"Alright." I still wasn't convinced, however. "Whatever you cooked smells delicious."

"Steak, garlic and herb mashed potatoes, and sauteed asparagus."

Conversation ceased as we both dug in, enjoying the meal. After I swallowed my last sip of Merlot, I sighed happily, resting my head on his shoulder. His free arm snaked around my waist and he kissed the top of my head. "Give me a second to throw the trash away and we'll go somewhere else."

We left Central Park, heading into the subway tunnels. Faint strains of a guitar reached my ears. I made a beeline for the sound, pulling Steve with me. "Whoa." He stopped me for a second. "You almost ran over the guy."

"Sorry." I apologized, digging around for the cash I had in my pocket. "Play me something slow, please."

"Sure thing, Red."

The first chords of *NSYNC's _(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You_ started. "Wanna dance?"

"Addy, I don't-"

"One hand on my waist and the other in my hand." I instructed, feeling Steve follow my directions.

He pulled me closer, swaying to the music. "Now what?" He whispered in my ear, his hot breath on my neck.

I bit my lip, trying to concentrate. "Just follow my lead and keep your eyes on me."

"I don't want to step on your toes." He countered.

I shook my head, chuckling. "Steve, I'll be fine. Trust me."

"I'd trust you with my life, Addy."

He pulled away for a second, and the guitarist changed songs. I hummed along to Train's _Marry Me_ , still in full teach-Steve-to-dance mode. He tilted my chin up, pressing his lips against mine in a soft, sweet kiss. "You're not even trying, are you?" I playfully scolded him.

"Well, I'm trying to ask you something but you keep distracting me." We stopped moving, but he kept his arms around me.

"Ask away, Cap."

"Aidan Ophelia Stark-"

"Am I in trouble, Captain?" I asked lightly.

He huffed. "Let me finish?" I nodded, a smirk spreading across my face. "Aidan Ophelia Stark, will you marry me?"


	15. Chapter 14

#14 Family Heirlooms (Tony Stark POV)

"Grandfather America proposed to my sister?"

"That's what my intel said." Natasha bit into her bagel, sitting beside Clint at the table.

"He didn't get my permission."

"Would you even give it to him?"

I glanced at the Russian redhead. "That's besides the point. He's supposed to be a tradition lover, and that's one of the biggest traditions ever."

Clint snickered, signing something to Natasha. She snorted. "Well, maybe's he's changing."

I ignored her, taking a gulp of my coffee, and headed downstairs to the lab. "JARVIS, lock the doors."

"Yes, sir."

I lost track of time, reworking one of my robots, Dummy, until- knock, knock, knock. "Mr. Stark, Captain Rogers requests entry." JARVIS announced.

I dropped the screwdriver on the little cart beside me. "Whatever."

The door opened and I started looking over the sketches again, doing my best to ignore Steve. "Hey, Tony, can we talk for a second?"

"Since we're perfectly capable of verbal communication, sure. Go ahead, Capsicle."

He sighed. "Tony, I don't want to fight with you."

"Then why the fuck would you ask my baby sister to marry you without getting my permission first? Don't like tradition now?"

He crossed his arms, leaning against a cabinet across from me. "I didn't ask because I wasn't sure she was even going to say yes."

"Seriously?" I scoffed. "Don't give me excuses."

"That's why I'm here now. To ask you for permission."

"You give her a ring already?"

"I honestly thought it would be sort of pointless." He admitted.

"Because she's blind?" I snorted. "Yeah, but I have one I think she'd like. Come on, Cap."

He followed me to my floor, and I typed in the safe code, 121691. "Howard made this for Mom, but, uh, they died before he could give it to her."

I passed the black gold and black diamond ring to Steve. He turned it in his hand, inspecting the black-blue stones, and running his fingers over the sharp angles of the setting. "I think she would love this one."

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna need it."

"Thank you, Tony."

"You do anything to hurt my sister, Cap, and I'll kill you."

He nodded, pocketing the ring. "I know."

"Good." I patted his back, probably harder than necessary. "Remember that."


End file.
